Aprainores

“I am happy to see people working in this way, and for us to have a market through fair trade, I think the idea of fair trade has to be pushed further – not only so that we can grow cashew nuts, but also that we can have a market for them. I know the quality of the Montecristo nut.”

Reyes Cruz Parada, coop member

Aprainores is a primary producer association consisting of over 60 families located around San Carlos Lempa, near the mouth of the Lempa River in El Salvador. Families are subsistence farmers whose sole cash income is from small cashew holdings. Together they own a processing plant employing 40-70 seasonal workers (up to nine months).

The land was given to the families in a land reform programme, many of whom fought during the civil war against the government 20 years ago. The main objective of the plant is to improve livelihoods by income generation by selling FLO certified organic cashews. Organic management of their farms helps to keep their environment free of pesticides and GMO’s.

El Salvador is a small, densely populated state in Central America. It was the site of an intense civil war (mentioned above) and US intervention during the 1980's. Highly centralised (in landed elite) economic and political power was the source of a passionate sense of injustice which is easily woken today in the memories of small-scale farmers still trying to secure a reliable living. Sustainable development is difficult when land is in short supply and slash and burn agriculture generates immediate returns to keep families afloat.

The initiative was begun following the Peace Accords in 1993. One part is a co-operative cashew factory which processes cashews collected by families in surrounding communities. The new system of land-ownership begins the process of providing long term security for these families who also grow sesame for cash income, plantain or papaya for local markets or maize for home consumption.

Labour Intensive Processing

Cashew processing is very labour intensive. Each fruit must be opened manually after drying taking care not get burnt by the caustic oil in the fruit. Gloves are worn and ashes used to neutralise the oil. The resulting nuts are dried and peeled and graded.

The processing factory runs for five to six months a year during the harvesting season.

To learn more about Aprainores visit their site: http://perso.wanadoo.es/gbajolempa/aprainores.htm